For diabetics, it is preferable to regularly measure his or her own glucose level in blood and take appropriate measures such as medicine administration in accordance with the measurements. JP-A-H08-262026 and JP-A-2001-33418, for example, disclose devices for measuring a blood glucose level.
As shown in FIG. 45, in a first device disclosed in JP-A-H08-262026, when an operation portion 91 provided on a housing 90 is operated, a sensor S partially projects through an opening 90a formed at the front end of the housing 90. In the first device, when the blood of the user is applied to a predetermined portion of the sensor S, the measurement circuit (not shown) in the housing 90 computes the glucose level in blood, and the measurement result is displayed on a display 92.
As shown in FIG. 46, in the first device, the sensor S is accommodated in the housing 90 as a package (cartridge) 95. The package 95 includes a base member 95a formed with a plurality of radially extending recesses 96, and a film 95b bonded to the base member. Each of the recess 96 serves to accommodate a sensor S.
As shown in FIGS. 47A and 47B, when the operation portion 91 is operated to take out the sensor S, a blade 97a breaks through part of the film 95b of the package 95 and then pushes the rear end of the sensor S toward the outer circumference of the package 95. As a result, the sensor S breaks through part of the film 95b and is pushed to the opening 90a of the housing 90.
With such a structure, by setting the package 95 in the housing 90, measurement of the glucose level in blood can be performed a plurality of times by successively using the plurality of sensors S.
In the first device, when the sensor S is taken out from the package 95, the sensor S itself breaks through the film 95b. Therefore, the front end of the sensor S needs to be made sharp. However, since the user may touch the front end of the sensor S, the sharp front end may cause the user to fear and hence is not preferable. Moreover, the sensor S may not break the film 95b easily, so that taking out of the sensor S by breaking the film 95b by the sensor S itself is sometimes difficult.
In a second device disclosed in JP-A-2001-33418, a film member accommodating a sensor is placed in a device. The sensor is taken out by breaking the film and used for measuring a blood glucose level, for example.
In the second device, the sensor is taken out from the film member, and the measurement is performed. Therefore, the number of parts which need be disposed of after the measurement is large. That is, two parts, i.e. the empty film member and the sensor need be disposed of. Moreover, since the timing at which the film becomes unnecessary does not coincide with the timing at which the sensor becomes unnecessary, the two parts need be disposed of separately, which is inconvenient.